Restore Florida Water Independence Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9017
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-22: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-23T18:07:40Z
AI-Generated Summary
## Purpose The legislation aims to establish that adherence to a specific biological opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service satisfies the requirements of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 for the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of Florida's assumption of the federal dredge and fill permitting program under the Clean Water Act.
## Key Provisions
- For the defined Agency Action, the Biological Opinion is treated as compliant with the Endangered Species Act, and following the opinion counts as full compliance with the Act.
- No further consultation under section 7(a) of the Endangered Species Act is required.
- The Agency Action covers the EPA's 2020 approval of Florida's request to administer the Section 404 permitting program, along with related activities.
- The Biological Opinion refers to the November 17, 2020, programmatic opinion (FWS Log #: 04E00000-2021-F-0001), including its incidental take statement.
## Significant Changes to Existing Law Under standard Endangered Species Act procedures, federal agency actions typically require separate consultations to assess impacts on protected species. This bill creates a statutory deeming provision that substitutes compliance with the named 2020 biological opinion for those consultation requirements in this specific case, eliminating the need for additional review.
## Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Streamlines processes for the EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Florida state environmental agencies by removing requirements for further Endangered Species Act consultations on the Section 404 program.
- Citizens: May affect permitting timelines for projects involving dredge and fill activities in Florida waters, potentially influencing development, infrastructure, and environmental protection efforts.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
## Main Stakeholders
- The State of Florida and its environmental agencies.
- The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Entities seeking dredge and fill permits in Florida.
- Organizations and individuals concerned with endangered species protection and water quality.
## Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill applies a targeted statutory override to a specific biological opinion and agency action, which alters the application of the Endangered Species Act without amending the underlying statute. This approach limits additional federal review for Florida's assumption of the Section 404 program and could affect how similar state-federal permitting transfers are handled in the future.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (8)
Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21], Rep. Moskowitz, Jared [D-FL-23], Rep. Haridopolos, Mike [R-FL-8], Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16], Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17], Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12], Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15], Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-22: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-05-22: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-05-22: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-22: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Restore Florida Water Independence Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-22 — PDF (3 pages)